Just bought an M10 to supplement my M8.2

[MikeMyers]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Having thought about this for over two years, I finally ordered an M10 today.  I've been using four cameras lately, Nikon D750 (awesome camera!!!), Canon G7X Pro Mk II (a lot of camera in a very small body, great for travel), and my latest Fuji X100f (sort of a Leica, in some ways, but not).   I was out of the country in India for three months, doing volunteer work, and I once again in my spare time, I started reading everything I could find about my Leica M8.2 which I bought in 2009, a month or so before the M9 came out.  I love the M8.2, the photos it can create, and that it works like my Leica film cameras that I used while growing up (M2 and M3).  Since coming home, all my other cameras got put away, and I've only been using the Leica, for everything.  But after using it exclusively for the past few weeks, I'm also aware of limitations.  Low light shooting is a challenge.  I wear glasses, and I struggle to see what's going to be in the captured image.  The image size is fine, providing I don't crop - which is a major limitation for me.  ISO speeds - my limit was 320.

Regarding the M10, the biggest obstacle for me was when I checked the selling price for the M10 again.  The one I wanted, a black open box sale camera from B&H for roughly $6500 was still available, but when I checked the other cameras for sale - ouch!!!  They were far more than I could afford to spend.  But, I figured if I didn't buy one now, it would never happen, so the open box sale camera is now on its way to me, along with a second battery.

So many people love the images from the M8.2 Leicas.  I was wondering if the M10 can create similar images?   Also, I enjoy taking infrared photos with the M8.2, and I have no idea if the M10 is any good at this.  I have no intention of selling my old Leica.  In a few months, I'll be making another trip back to India, and I guess I'll need to decide which camera(s) to take with me.

 

I have two questions for the forum.  The first, is there some combination of settings that will allow a M10 to capture images similar to what I have bee getting from the M8.2 ?   And my follow-up question, is the infrared filtering in the M10 week enough, that I can still use it for infrared photography?

One more question - below is a photo that I took with my M8.2, along with some editing from Nik Collection.  Is the M10 likely going to capture an image like this?  Maybe better than this?  Even the darkest parts of the image still had detail I could bring out if I wanted.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Edited February 10, 2020 by MikeMyers
left a few things out that I wanted to say....

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Jeff S]

We can’t know your shooting and editing  (and printing?) workflow and output. The user matters, not just the gear. 

FWIW, I owned two M8.2s... marvelous cameras, capable of fine b/w and color output. I moved, however, to the M240, and now the M10 (supplemented by an M9M).  The M10 is a better camera technically and in build quality by most measures. It’s a far more robust and modern M platform. The camera won’t limit you in any ways compared to the M8.2, dynamic range included,  although I’m sure your workflow (including color profiles) will need to be adjusted to suit your tastes and preferences. I can’t comment on IR photography... not my thing... but I think the M8/M8.2 provides unique capabilities in this regard within the M digital series.  Keep your M8.2.  And enjoy the M10.

Jeff

Edited February 10, 2020 by Jeff S

[MikeMyers]

I no longer have a "shooting and editing and printing workflow".  Well, I don't print, and my output is always digital, but people I photograph for in India do print my images.  While a year ago I certainly DID have a workflow (photo > Photo Michanic > Lightroom/edit > email) now it has gotten more complicated. Here's a summary:

• My SD card gets moved to my iMac or my MacBook Pro.
• I use Photo Mechanic 6 to ingest all the images into a working folder on my computer.
• Leica used to create simpler DNG files, so I started using Adobe DNG Converter to change them into DNG files with a preview built in.  DNG Converter makes a copy of each image, converted into the new DNG format.
• I use PhotoMechanic to sort through the images, "tagging" images that I think might be useful to me.
• I then use PhotoMehanic to delete un-tagged photos.  I go through the previous step and this step several times.
• Depending on how I feel that day, I may import the tagged images into Lightroom.  Or, I may copy them into a folder where I will use DarkTable to edit the images. Or I may copy them to a folder where I will use PhotoLab 3 to do the editing.
• Most likely, the best images, after editing by any of the above will be sent to Color Efex in Nik Collection.  

 

From what you've suggested, I expect I will use the M8.2 mostly for infrared photography, and maybe as my travel camera.  

-------------------------

With Nikon, I went from the Nikon SP to the F, F2, F4, D2h, D2x, (D70-backup), D3, and then to the D750.  Once I got into SLR territory, each new camera could do so much more than the previous camera, for the type of work I did (mostly radio control car racing all over the world).  I still have the SP; haven't used it in decades.  Getting a new model rarely cost me things that the new model couldn't do - it always allowed me to do the same work better, and easier, and get technically better results.

With Leica I started with M2, then got more M2 and M3 cameras, then switched to Nikon, then got the M8.2 which could do a lot, but didn't replace my need for "sports" cameras.  I think the M10 will mostly replace the M8.2 most of the time at least, although I'm not sure I want to bring it to India.  

I am now 76, and I was thinking that if I wanted to get the new Leica at all, better to do it now while I'm still healthy.  Good think they still had the open box camera at B&H, because spending more than that wasn't something I was prepared to deal with.  Did the cost of Leica cameras go up because of the trade war with our current president?

[Jeff S]

All M cameras offer roughly the same basic RF experience, which limits their use (for most people) for sports and other types of photography.  Later digital models with CMOS offer live view and EVF, and some provide video.  But mostly they are similar cameras with newer, higher MP sensors, and other subtle differences in size, ergonomics, menus, cosmetics, build quality, etc. The monochrome sensor versions offer a unique experience, but even those use the same platforms as the color versions.

 Only you can decide if these differences in potential IQ and/or other aspects will enhance your picture taking experience or results.  And, yes, US prices on most all Leica gear increased roughly 10% to offset the 25% tariff on lenses (Leica decided to spread the impact).  

Stop questioning and enjoy shooting... you’ll decide what works best.

Jeff

Edited February 10, 2020 by Jeff S

[farnz]

Mike,

The main difference you're likely to find with the M10 is 'room to breath' with your lenses since it's full frame compared with the M8.2's APS-C.  Wide angle lenses really are wide angle lenses again.

The other thing might be having LiveView for when you need it for, say, macro or long focal lengths.  I doubt that it'll help you at all with shooting your model racing cars and the IR filter is strong enough that you'd need a tripod to shoot IR.

I let my M8 go when I went to the M9P but I missed it so much for the infrared that I bought another one.

Pete.

[MikeMyers]

Thanks, guys.  I no longer shoot model racing cars, but when I did, I set up for a photo ahead of time, then watched the car, not my viewfinder, until the car was where I wanted it to be.  Most cameras couldn't keep up - because of shutter lag, by the time I pressed the shutter release and the photo was taken, the car wasn't where I wanted it to be.  Anyway, for my needs, I'm pretty sure the M10 will do everything I want except for the infrared work - but I'm keeping my M8.2 for that.

Live view will make my longer lenses useable again.  I think it will be very handy.  

Ouch about the price - no wonder everything looked so expensive.  I guess I'm lucky they didn't raise the price of the "open box" M10.